PHC Honors Volunteers At Annual Luncheon

The volunteers who serve Peninsula Hospital Center throughout the year were treated to a Luncheon of Appreciation last Tuesday. Nearly 40 of the regulars from the volunteer services at the hospital gathered for a luncheon with hospital administrators and staff who came out to express their gratitude to those who give so freely of their time assisting at the Peninsula Hospital Center and the Peninsula Center for Extended Care and Rehabilitation.
Peninsula Hospital Center hosted its annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon last week in conjunction with this year's National Volunteer Week. In an all out effort to let the volunteers at Peninsula Hospital Center and the Center for Extended Care and Rehabilitation understand that the are most appreciated they were treated to a catered lunch, complete with balloons, gifts of volunteer smocks and ID tag holders, take-home plant centerpieces, and certificates of appreciation. Additionally, each volunteer had their pictures taken with President and Chief Executive Officer Robert V. Levine so they can have a personal remembrance that the hospital is completely aware that their volunteers, "Make A Difference Everyday."

The volunteers who serve the Peninsula Hospital Center and the Center for Extended Care and Rehabilitation, assist the professional and technical staff in the Emergency Room, the Coronary Care Unit, the Intensive Care Unit, the Operating Room, the labs, the Chemotherapy Unit, the X-Ray department, Radiology, the Nursing Office, Human Resources, Public Relations, Pastoral Care, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Recreational Therapy, the Gift Shops, the Traumatic Brain Injury Unit, Medical Records, Adult Day Health Care, and more.

PHC volunteers come in all shapes and sizes, colors and backgrounds, and ages and experience levels. Some log in five to 10 hours a week: others work nearly full time shifts. Some have volunteered for nearly 20 years; some have joined the ranks over the past several months. A few are teenage students working on their community service projects and there are college and business school students hoping to gain on-the-job experience. Still others are retired seniors who devote a portion of their time each week to "giving back" to their community. Each and every one goes "above and beyond" the call.

All are welcome additions to the Peninsula Hospital Family and all deserve the sincere gratitude for a job well done from those they serve and assist, both at PHC and the community for a job well done.

The volunteer program at PHC has recently undergone a revitalization period and is now headed up by the External Affairs Department who has succeeded in nearly doubling the volunteer force since the beginning of the New Year. Recruitment for volunteers is ongoing. Volunteers are needed in nearly every department. Whether your time allows for two hours, one day a week; one full day a week; or more, all are invited to join in the experience.

For additional information about becoming a hospital volunteer, contact the Department for External Affairs and Development at 718-734-2506/7.